Ranch With a New 'Old West' Town

Jack and Pat McDonnell knew they wanted a ranch and looked at six properties before visiting the Grand River Ranch in Kremmling, Colo., and deciding they were home. 'Once we saw this property we stopped looking,' says Mr. McDonnell. 'We started out thinking we were going to be pioneers and do everything ourselves. Then we realized it's really important to have support staff.' The McDonnells paid $13.12 million in 2002 for 3,498 acres within the private ranch community, according to title documents. Homeowners in the community share amenities including an equestrian center and three fishing camps. The couple says they then spent approximately $12 million on improvements including a log home and a replica of an old West town.
Tim Casey…

The 6,300-square-foot log home was completed in 2003 and has five bedrooms, 5 1/2 bathrooms and views of the Gore Mountain Range. Called Wild Eagle Lodge, the home also has a drive-through toy barn where the family keeps snowmobiles and ATVs. 'We tried to build it so it's warm and not stuffy,' says Mr. McDonnell, an entrepreneur who, with his wife, now runs their family foundation. 'It's all logs. We went and picked the logs out in Montana.' Mr. McDonnell says they also cleared a small area for skiing. Shown here is the great room.
Tim Casey…

Homeowners within Grand River Ranch share a lodge, shown here. Mrs. McDonnell says that when she and her husband host big groups of people, she sometimes has guests stay in the four-bedroom member's lodge. The communal facilities also include a clay shooting range.
Tim Casey…

Two miles from their main house, the McDonnells built Rose City, a town of eight buildings designed to look as if it dates back to 1885. 'My husband has always called me his wild Irish rose,' says Mrs. McDonnell, age 62, of the name. The couple has been married for 31 years. The town consists of a jail (the windows are designed to pop out to facilitate jail breaks), a bank, a livery, a saloon, a barbershop, a general store and a stagecoach stop that serves as a guest cabin. The façade of the hotel hides a garage for the snowcat that grooms the trails in winter. When construction was completed in 2004, the McDonnells hosted a fundraiser in Rose City complete with staged shoot-out in the saloon, a bank robbery and a horse race that started and finished in the town.
Tim Casey…

'I'll miss the saloon,' says Mr. McDonnell, age 70. 'We take a lot of friends and family up there and it's a fun place to be. ' The saloon also has two guest bedrooms and a wine cellar in the basement. The couple is selling because Mr. McDonnell can no longer be in the altitude. 'My husband has some health issues and can't be at the altitude anymore,' says Mrs. McDonnell. In the meantime their 27 nieces and nephews enjoy using the home.
Tim Casey…

Rose City comes with several authentic vehicles including a copy of a Wells Fargo stagecoach. 'It's a little bumpy, it's supposed to be a little bumpy because that's how it really was,' says Mr. McDonnell, adding that it was built using the original 1876 plans though they enlarged it and added hydraulic breaks. There is also a surrey with the fringe on top, a circa 1890 hearse and a variety of sleighs. Shown here is the whiskey wagon.
Tim Casey…

The ranch, which is about a two-hour drive from Denver, went on the market in July 2013 with an asking price of $23 million. Mark Overstreet and Brittany Lloyd of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty share the listing.
Tim Casey…